What it takes to win: Beat Jeff Gordon. Counting the road course at Sonoma, Calif., Gordon has won the past six series road-course races. The key to getting around Watkins Glen is having a car that can withstand heavy braking, and left and right turns that leave the rear wheels on the brink of sending the car into a spin. Much of Gordon's success can be attributed to his ability to find a rhythm that doesn't overwork the car.